Akilah Joins the HeForShe Movement
Promoting Women in Business to Drive Rwanda Forward
Akilah is a proud supporter of the #HeForShe movement in Rwanda.
Promoting women in the private sector is not just the right thing to do — it is the smart thing to do. This was one of the key messages at the launch of the #HeForShe campaign at the Kigali Marriott Hotel on September 16, 2016. The initiative aims to engage Rwanda’s private sector leaders as advocates for gender equality under the global #HeForShe campaign, a movement by UN Women that encourages men to promote women’s empowerment.
The Kigali campaign launch was organized by UN Women, Rwanda’s Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion, and the Rwanda Private Sector Federation’s Chamber of Women Entrepreneurs in partnership with the Akilah Institute for Women.
“We can do it just as well as men.”
“Growing up I always noticed that most business owners were men. I kept asking myself, why not women? I decided to make a change and start my own business — and that’s what made me join Akilah,” said Sakina Usengimana, an Akilah Entrepreneurship student and business owner. Sakina addressed a crowd of leading CEOs, government officials, and gender advocates who came together to push for women’s empowerment in the private sector.
Sakina is in her second year at Akilah and runs a jewelry business outside of the classroom. She was invited as a guest speaker to inspire other young women to start businesses and pursue their professional dreams. Sakina’s message to the audience was clear: “I encourage more young women like me to go for it and start their own businesses. We can do it just as well as men.”
And encouraging more women to enter the private sector will have a tremendous impact on Rwanda’s economy, according to Minister of Trade and Industry Francois Kanimba. “It is no secret that empowering women is a vital part of moving our economy forward,” he said during his keynote address.
While Rwanda is a global leader for gender equality in politics (the Rwandan Parliament has the highest percentage of women in the world), a large gender gap in the private sector persists. More so than men, women struggle to access the services and financial support necessary to start businesses ventures. Many girls and women are under the impression that they don’t belong in the business world.
Recognizing these challenges, the event was a call to action for the private sector to follow the path laid by Rwandan President Paul Kagame, who aims to make Rwanda a leading #HeForShe country globally.
On a national level, Rwanda has committed to three goals as part of the #HeForShe movement: bridging the digital gender gap, encouraging women to enroll in technical and vocational education and training, and stopping gender-based violence.
As an accredited institution that prepares women for private sector careers, Akilah plays an important role in seeing these commitments through. The institute’s three diploma programs — Entrepreneurship, Hospitality Management, and Information Systems — are designed around private sector needs and prepare graduates to enter the workforce with market-relevant skills. Nearly 90% of Akilah graduates find jobs within six months of graduation.
Fatou Lo, UN Women’s representative to Rwanda, praised Akilah’s work:
“I would like to extend heartfelt thanks to the Akilah Institute for Women and commend the institute, its leadership, and its dynamic and competent student body for the excellent work they are doing to equip young women with the technical and the leadership skills they need to confidently and successfully make it into the job market.”
Lo encouraged other institutions and companies to learn from Akilah’s model of developing an academic curriculum in partnership with the private sector.
Akilah is proud to be a supporter of the #HeForShe movement. We look forward to continuing our work with the private sector to ensure that women are equipped and empowered to take on leadership roles in their careers, their communities, and their country.